Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-09-15
The Needs of the Wool Growers.

The resolutions adopted by the Wool
Growers Convention at Columbus Oh
Thursday last were strongly in favor of
such legislation by Congress as will pro-
tect the wool growers of the United
States from the increasing importatiOns
of foreign wool. They insist that pro
tective duties are absolutely essential to
enable them to compete with foreign
producers of wool and control the home
market. They denounce the tariff leg
islation of 1888, by which the profits of
wool growing were largely destroyed, land
sheep husbandry made no longer re-
muuerative. They urge unity of action
on the part of all producers of wool to
influence Congress to correct the pres
ent grievous tariff laws relating TO the
importation of wool. and restore the
tariff of 1857. The convention very
strongly appealed to the manufacturers
of wool goods in the United States, to
recognize the justice of the wool grows
ers' claims and assist them in procuring
such legislation as will do justice to the
home producers.
In addressing the members of the
Convention, Senator Sherman stated
that he not only was thoroughly com>
mitted to the principle of protection to
American industry, but especially to the
protection of the wool growers of the
United States; because he believed the
growth of wool to be an absolute neces1
sity to the independence of our nation.
at is,' be says. lone of the great indus
tries that lie at the foundstiaD of our
prosperity, because no nation that has
not supply of wool can be independent
in time of war, danger or difficulty.
Mr.. Sherman, in proof of this statemedt
might have recalled the fact that at the
outbreak of the war in 1861, the agent
of the State of Ohio. appointed by the
Governor to purchase cloth for the SOL
diers' uniforms had to walt weeks be-
fore sufficient quantity of woolens
could be imported from foreign coun-
tries to supply the demand.
1t is plain that the tariff law of 1888,
changing the law of 1867, has acted dis
astronsly upon the wool growers. 1t
has largely reduced the production of
wool and decreased the number of sheep.
Upon this subject Republican and
Democratic farmers are unit in opin-
ion. The latter have taken alarm be-
cause the late Democratic State Con-
vention declared itself in favor of q
tariff for revenue only" So long as a
tariff can be so adjusted as to secure a
national income sufficient to pay the in
terest on the public debt and the annual
expenses of the government. the Demo
crat party valves the question of pro-
lection as entirely immaterial. If the
government can secure means enough
to carry on its work. that is all the
Democrats regard as vital. 4 tariff
for revenue only" means exactly this
and no more. Democratic legislation
knows nothing of protective tariff laws
for the sake of protection.
At the close of the fiscal year 1886
there were imported into this country
1O7. .91O.54S pounds Of woods of the value
of $l3,794,21S. Can any one give any
sound reason why these thirteen millions
of dollars should not have been paid to
the farmers of the United States instead
of to the producers in foreign lands !?
Why need this money go out of the
country to enrich other than our own
people? Had the tariff law of 1867 re-
mained unchanged not many dollars of
ali the tens of millions paid for foreign
woods since that period need have been
lost to our own farmers. The sooner
Congress gives proper heed TO this all
important subject the better for the
country.-ClevelaDd Leader.